"Fool! How could she dare to use the Black Snake Poison technique when she hasn't mastered it yet?" the old man muttered quietly, then rose to his feet.
The gaunt, wrinkled old man walked toward the door and opened it.
"Quickly, call Song Im and Song Rui here!" he ordered the two sect members guarding the entrance.
"Yes, Master." One of the guards immediately rushed off, while the other remained at his post.
The old man returned to the room without closing the door.
Not long after, two men dressed entirely in black with red headbands entered the chamber.
The tall, thin man was Song Im, while the shorter, stockier one with curly hair was Song Rui.
"Our respects, Master!"
Song Im and Song Rui bowed in unison.
"What orders do you have for us?" Song Rui asked.
"Yung Mei is currently using the Black Snake Poison technique. I'm certain she is now engaged in a battle with someone. Find her immediately and assist her!"
"Forgive me, Master… it's not that we refuse to help, but Yung Mei's abilities far surpass ours. Why would she still need our help?" Song Im asked in confusion. As the first elder, Yung Mei should not have needed their assistance.
"She has not yet fully mastered the Black Snake Poison technique. If she forces herself to use it in a battle against a highly skilled opponent, the poison could backfire and endanger her own life. That is why I am ordering both of you to find her and assist her."
"Understood, Master. We will leave at once," Song Rui replied, never one to question Ki Ageng Pengging's orders.
---
The battle between Yun Xia and Yung Mei continued fiercely. Yung Mei's sword strikes relentlessly bombarded Yun Xia's defenses. Occasionally, her poisoned chain lashed out, attempting to catch him off guard.
But Yun Xia did not simply defend. The young man with fiery reddish-yellow hair didn't bother to block or parry—he chose to trade attacks directly, fully aware that even a single touch of her poison could place him in critical danger.
Meanwhile, Yung Mei gradually realized that her energy was steadily draining. Using the incomplete Black Snake Poison technique forced her to carefully manage her internal energy. However, her burning desire to kill the young man before her never subsided. Her instincts told her she had to defeat Yun Xia quickly before her strength was entirely spent, prompting her to make a desperate decision that could ultimately cost her life.
"Die, boy!" she roared, leaping forward and swinging her sword with over half of her remaining inner power.
Yun Xia responded with a faint smile. The Crater Flame Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with immense energy, enveloped in a dark crimson aura. He didn't block the attack—instead, he met it head-on with a powerful slash of his own.
The clash of their mighty forces was unavoidable, resulting in a deafening explosion.
Boom!
The impact from the collision of these immense powers sent Yung Mei flying backward, while Yun Xia was pushed back only two steps. His firm stance, feet rooted solidly into the ground, prevented him from being driven back any further.
Yung Mei's body crashed harshly onto the ground and only came to a stop after slamming into a large boulder. Aside from the trees, the riverside area was scattered with large and small stones.
Though not gravely injured, Yung Mei was stunned by the situation she now faced. She stood up and stared at Yun Xia from a distance, disbelief clearly etched across her wrinkled face.
'Why isn't my poison affecting him at all?' she wondered, watching the young man's sharp gaze and faint, mocking smile that deeply humiliated her.
In truth, what Yung Mei saw was not entirely accurate. Yun Xia could feel the effects of her poison lingering slightly in his body. His breathing had become a bit labored, but he managed to suppress it enough to keep fighting without disruption.
Within seconds, a thin black mist began to seep from his body, and his breathing quickly returned to normal.
Yun Xia was briefly confused by this, but it didn't take long for him to realize that the natural fire crater element within his body had already neutralized the poison's effects.
The subtle change in Yun Xia's expression did not escape Yung Mei's sharp eyes. She assumed her poison had begun to take hold within his body, even if the dose was not significant.
A sinister smile crept across her lips.
"Do you think I don't know my poison is now coursing through your body? Keep moving… soon enough, your blood vessels will rupture, and you'll die a miserable death!" Yung Mei sneered, then coughed, spitting fresh blood from her lips.
"Are you sure you're seeing things correctly, Yung Mei? From what I see, you're the one suffering internal injuries. Also, take a good look at your sword—it won't be much use to you for long."
The old woman frowned and quickly glanced at the blade in her hand.
'Damn it!' she cursed inwardly.
She could see numerous fine cracks spreading along her sword, especially at the point of impact.
Yung Mei struggled to suppress the growing rage in her mind. Gambling by releasing more than half of her energy had not produced the results she hoped for. Instead, she now found herself in a precarious position, burdened by severe internal injuries.
The old woman quickly sealed several pressure points on her body, attempting to prevent her internal wounds from worsening.
"Prepare to die, Yung Mei!" Yun Xia threatened, raising the Crater Flame Sword high.
The crimson blade radiated an enormous energy and an intense heat, far exceeding the flames of any ordinary fire.
The nearby trees instantly withered. Leaves shriveled and fell, and even the river began to emit thick steam rising into the air.
Yung Mei instinctively stepped back. The scorching heat from the young man's blade stung her body, and she struggled to endure it, lest her wrinkled skin be burned.
'Damn it! If this continues, I'll die at the hands of that boy!' she cursed in panic.
Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Yun Xia slam his foot into the ground and launch himself at high speed. His sudden charge left Yung Mei staring in disbelief.
When he was about seven steps away, Yun Xia leaped high, spinning twice in the air before slashing his sword downward.
The woman, armed with both sword and concealed chains, could feel the massive energy aimed directly at her head. The heirloom sword she had long coveted now loomed before her, ready to claim her life. She could do nothing but raise her own sword, using the last remnants of her inner power to block the attack.
A thunderous explosion immediately echoed from the clash of their opposing energies. Dust billowed thickly, grass and small trees were uprooted and flung away, as were countless small stones scattered by the impact.